Raptors-Heat fallout: Ibaka to sit, DeRozan hit in pocketbook

Under the circumstances, it was about as good as the Raptors could have hoped.

A pair of incidents Tuesday involving two Toronto starters have resulted in a one-game suspension of Serge Ibaka and a $25,000 fine for DeMar DeRozan handed down by the NBA on Wednesday.

Ibaka and former Raptors forward James Johnson threw punches and were ejected from Tuesday’s Raptors-Heat game. Both received single-game suspensions without pay.

DeRozan, who appeared to push/punch Goran Dragic at the conclusion of the same game, is allowed to suit up against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

Already down star guard Kyle Lowry (unless he makes a miraculously quick recovery from a bruised tailbone), the Raptors head into their meeting with LeBron James and the Cavs without its other star guard and its top big man.

The Cavs escaped a big loss themselves on Wednesday, when returning point guard Isaiah Thomas was fined — as opposed to getting suspended — for a rather blatant clothesline on Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins on Tuesday.

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